NTSC to PAL Quicktime pro

Hi can anyone help please?
I used internal camera on macbook pro core 2 duo to take in video through quicktime pro. When I tied to import into DVD Studio Pro it says Pal setup can't take in ntsc video. But how do i get quicktime pro to take PAL video?
Any help much appreciated

When I tied to import into DVD Studio Pro it says Pal setup can't take in ntsc video. But how do i get quicktime pro to take PAL video?As I understand it, you captured the video using the built-in video device and the QT Pro application in the "Device Native" mode. As such, I believe the default is NTSC DV with no option to change to PAL. You then attempted to import the NTSC video to DVDSP set up for the creation of PAL formatted DVDs, received an error message for your trouble, and are now asking how to force QT Pro to capture PAL video instead. Am I correct so far?
If so, believe their is no way to force QT Pro to convert video from an NTSC input device to PAL "on the fly." Have no way to test my hypothesis but assume Apple is using another "auto-adaptive" workflow here with no way to manually override the central problem. Optimum solution would likely be to attach a FireWire PAL device and selecting that device see if the newly captured content was indeed in the PAL format. If this is not possible or you must proceed with the content that is already on hand, would suggest the following as an alternative, albeit less satisfactory, solution.
Simply open the file in a conversion capable application and export it to PAL DV settings. While QT Pro can do this, I would be concerned about the algorithm it employs -- a simple drop frame approach to eliminate approximately 5 frames of data per second. Would instead recommend MPEG Streamclip (free) in this case. This application employs a slightly different approach. By using the "Export to DV" File menu option, setting output for PAL DV settings, and setting the "blend" option, rather than simply "dropping" superfluous frames, these frames are "blended" with an adjacent frame so that the data is not totally lost. In this case, depending on interframe vector displacement/differences, the blended frame will appear somewhat "fuzzy" when viewed on its own but renders playback more smoothly than it would by simply "dropping" the intervening data.
The resulting file should be able to be imported into a PAL DVDSP project without further problem. Or so I would assume. (I only did this once and was going in the other direction -- creating "tweened" frames rather than "duplicate" frame.)

Similar Messages

Captures PAL video with NTSC camera using Premiere Pro 1.5

I try to capture (download) PAL videos from a Sony DCR-HC40 NTSC camera using Premiere Pro 1.5. I can see the movie (on the camera) but none is captured in Premiere. I did it before and it worked, but I forgot the appropriate setting within the Premiere program.
I would appreciate any suggestions. Muenkey

The latter is the problem. As I hit the capture button, the tape in the camera rolls, I can see (and hear) the PAL movie in the view finder and on the LCD screen of the camera, but the capture window stays black (though the frame counter works) and nothing is captured. (This is true whether I use an NTSC or PAL project set-up in Premiere). Again, I know there is a solution. I have done it before but forgot the necessary set-up steps in Premiere.

Follow up from Real Pro thread - NTSC and PAL and AVCHD and FCE

Interesting topic line but can I just check one thing out from PAL land.
With an HD/AVCHD camera it is not recording in either PAL or NTSC as this is a analogue mode - so the issue issue of format is only relevant if i playback on a analogue TV. We have a digital tv so i record on AVCHD, deal in that format in FCE and burn to DVD (not sure in what format) play on DVD player through the digital TV.
If that is all correct then why do the manufacturers, in my case Canon HF10, talk about an NTSC and PAL version and then price differently - comparing the spec sheets from the Canon site I can see no difference. Am I missing something?

Hi Tom
The thing i was trying to establish was whether really there was a difference (other than price ) in the so called versions of the Canon HF10. The specs are exactly the same. My assumption is that as the cam records in AVCHD unless you intend to play back thro a PAL or NTSC TV (bearing in mind most European PAL sets play NTSC as well) it makes no odds which camera.
My plan- and this is what I need to check - is to record and import into FCE taking your advice not to record in the highest quality to save rendering on import. After editing can export through FCE to PAL or NTSC DVD version for playing on TV.
Does that sound right
PS I have found your book on FCE very helpful to date !!!!

NTSC to PAL Compression for DVD Studio Pro

I am trying to make PAL MPEG2s using Compressor. My videos are roughly 15 minutes long (I have 6 going onto one DVD). I altered one of the Presets to PAL, 16x9, one pass VBR, 4.5 to 7 data rate, best for the motion setting. And I get the typical odd chunky feeling during motion within the frame. Meaning frames look removed (or added) during movement. I looked at it not only on my MAC but on a PAL DVD routed to a true PAL monitor.
Any advice for settings I should try? I have two tests rendering - I moved up to 2 pass VBR, 5-8 data rates, better motion and best motion. I should be able to look at them this evening; but from the folks I talked to, I'm not hopeful. Has anyone figured a way to make PAL MPEG2s look good short of having PAL masters made and a large Post house do the files on their very expensive equipment?
Thanks,
Cindy S.

What version of Compressor are you using? Compressor 2 has frame rate conversion settings under the Frame Controls tab (offering various levels of quality).
In any case, you might want to try the freeware utility JES Deinterlacer since it supports fairly good NTSC to PAL conversion using either frame blending or a form of inverse telecine (to convert from NTSC's 29.97fps to PAL's 25fps). If you're using Compressor 1.X then this may be your best option unless you are willing to spend some money on an alternative, third-party solution.
You can download JES Deinterlacer from VersionTracker.com -- it comes with instructions.<small><hr width="75%"><small>If this suggestion helps in any way, a confirmation or acknowledgment would be appreciated, since that would also help others who may be having the same difficulty. Do for others as you would have them help you.<center>Thanks for sharing, Waymen.</center></small>

Customising import of DV tapes using Quicktime Pro

Hi all,
I am trying to import a lot of DV tapes onto my Mac (and some other analogue stuffe that I route through the camcorder so it ends up in DV even if it originated from VHS), the ultimate aim is to have the videos available within iTunes so I can stream them to my Apple TV 2 after some minimal editing (cutting out bad bits mainly).
I have tried to import via iMovie, but it has the following drawbacks: Huge file sizes, spends ages creating thumbnails, and then is really really slow to encode into H.264 compared to something like Handbrake.
I am not *too* fussed about final image quality, I am more concerned with being able to complete the job without spending too much time. What I want to do is encode into H.264 during the import, and then quickly be able to cut out what I don't want, and save into iTunes. Quicktime Pro is the closest I have found, but it seems to have the following limitations: Very limited selection of encoders and sizes without any ability to customise means I can't choose an appropriate quality level - the best is only 640x480, with no info on bitrates etc. This should be fine for my analogue sources, but potentially no good for some stuff in genuine DV format. Also, there seems to be a limit on how long it will record for, which doesn't make a lot of sense as it's capping out on videos less than 200Mb in size leaving me with extra steps to combine the individual videos into a larger one (References movies are quick to make, but won't stream to the Apple TV 2)
Is there a way to customise these settings to ammend the import settings and increase the maximise size, either unofficially or not?
Many thanks for yout time.

In the interest of ripping this stuff with the least complexity possible I was wanting to use QTP, but it seems that using the "best" preset with a widescreen DV input provides a file that is only 640x360 encoded at 96kbps, which is a lot smaller than the input native and isn't really good enough for me sadly.
The stated data rate looks more like an audio data rate that a video or video + audio data rate. Since the preset must be compatible with both NTSC and PAL "standards," it appears Apple programmers lower, more universal settings for greater device compatibility.
I can select Device Native, but that would get me back into massive DV files again. Not sure if this would be better than using the Vidi Firewire Capture would be better or not than this setting?
The basic rule of thumb here is "you can never have enough hard drive space." I currently have 25 TBs in external hard drive space connected to my main iMac for recreational/non-professional use. And, while you may consider DV data rates/files to be massive, HDV data rates/files would quadruple yours and some Apple Animation data rates/files could easily quadruple the HDV data rates/files. As to the question of using Vidi, if you are going to capture your files as DV content and don't want to use iMovie or other video editor application, then Vidi would be the utility to use.
Either way, at a couple of hours long the timeline within QTP becomes too "small" to be able to select bits to cut with any accuracy as it is not zoomable unlike iMovie, but putting them in iMovie would then start with the old thumbnailing again...
The QT 7 Pro Player "time line" is zoomable to some degree. This "zoom" capability is related to the size of the player. If you expand the size of the player to fill your screen as much as possible, you can "scrub" the playhead in smaller relative increments. Basically you should start your edits by expanding the player as large as your display allows and scrub the playhead to the rough area of your edit and then refine the position of the playhead using the fast play and jog controls in the A/V pallet and finally use the left/right arrow keys to select the exact frame you wish to edit. With some practice, you should find this work flow to be fairly quick if/when you know what and how you wish to edit the file.
As an example, a 1 hour 58 minute 23 second and 15 frame 640x360 file displayed at its default size can scrub the playhead in approximately 15 second increments. If I expand the player to its maximum dimensions on my monitor, the "scrub" increment is reduced to about 4 second with fast play and/or jog able to refine the playhead location to within a few frames of where I want to be.
What I was doing to remove the bits I don't want in iMovie was to create a project, include the bits I want, then delete the events using the option to only remove unused elements. This is a yet further step which takes a long time, but then gives me chunks of files I can queue in handbrake and then stitch back together using QTP.
Most strategies fall into either a "subtractive" or and "additive" work flow. I normally make "rough cuts" in the first pass and place the results in an folder/bin for further refining later. Once I have everything sorted and trimmed, I then merge/join the DV clips to create a single file which is then converted all at once to the target compression format or, in frequent instance, to several different compression formats or variations dependent on target use—burning to DVD, burning to BD, TV viewing, posting to the internet, etc.
I just tried a native capture with QTP, and it gives me the following video settings:
DV, 720 x 576 (1024 x 576), Millions
16-bit Integer (Little Endian), 4.0 (L R _ _), 32.000 kHz
1024 x 576 pixels (Actual)
If I encode this with Handbrake using the Apple Universal I get:
H.264, 720 x 592, Millions
AAC, 2 channels, 32000 Hz
1033 x 592 pixels
I would normally encode the file using the source file standard. In my case that would the NTSC 720x480 (853X480) equivalent of your PAL 720x576 (1024x576) anamorphic DV import. Would also prefer the AAC audio track be encoded using a 48,0 KHz sampling rate at 160 Kbps since my DV audio is set for 16-bit/48.0 KHz. (I also include an DD5.1 passthrough at 448 or 640 Kbps if available.) You can create and save your own custom resets which is what I use for HandBrake conversions specifically targeting the TV2 device and which include additional analysis/motion prediction settings.
So it looks like getting QTP to encode into H.264 just won't do it well enough, even though it should be able to go better without extending beyond the limits of the source
If you are referring to the conversion of DV source files to H.264, then use the "Movie to MPEG-4" or "Movie to Quicktime" export option to enter your own custom target settings. However, nether of these export potions offer the same ease for setting up custom anamorphic encodes for custom dimensions as HandBrake does. (I personally prefer using HandBrake here.)
I think the size limit was CPU bound with it not keeping up with the input fast enough to real-time encode and thus stopping. It's not done it since.
That may well be the case. My old G5 processed files in handBrake at 4 to 6 time "real time." My MacBook Pro converts files in roughly "real time" using my custom HandBrake presets. On my new iMac the default TV2 HandBrake preset process at about 180 fps and at 70-90 fps using an even higher quality custom preset I just added. As you can see, the different CPUs involved cam make quite a difference in conversion speed.

16/9 displayed as 4/3 in quicktime pro

Have exported a widescreen movie from FCE HD to quicktime (pro 7.0.3) Have check the properties before export and states that it is anamorphic and 720x576 pal. Looks fine in FCE. However, on playback of the new quicktime file, its 4/3. Have tried messing with playback settings in quicktime - window/movieproperties/video track/visual settings, but though I can change these settings, they will NOT stay changed. tried 1024 x 576 (=16/9) bit it just resets to 720x576. tried anamorphaziser without understanding it, by dropping quicktime file into it but to no avail. On slightly dodgy ground as dont really understant square pixels etc Can anyone tell me how to end up with a quicktime file that simply displays in the same ratio as the original material?
Cheers

You are working with a DV stream, which is 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL) regardless of whether it is a 4:3 signal or a 16:9 signal. You might notice that 720x[480|576] is not actually 4:3, though it is a lot closer to 4:3 than it is to 16:9.
FCE HD, iMovie HD, and the Anamorphiciser use a special user data atom in the QuickTime movie to identify it as a 16:9 movie. As the name implies, that atom is not defined (or used) by QuickTime Player. All QuickTime Player knows is that it has a 720x[480|576] DV stream, and it tries to display it accordingly. If you import the clip into Final Cut or iMovie or iDVD (not sure about DVD Studio Pro), those apps will see the user data and handle the movie correctly.
In order to view it in QuickTime Player, you should go into the movie properties and adjust the size of the video track to a size consistent with 16:9 square pixels...that is, 854x480 for NTSC, 1024x576 for PAL...then save the movie as either a self-contained or reference movie. That should reset the settings AND convince them to stay changed.
The change is only necessary for viewing the movie in QuickTime Player. Most of the applications that might make use of the movie can figure out whether it is 4:3 or 16:9 by the user data.
--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Quicktime Pro - Split Screen Question??

The help section says that you can edit a video to have a "split screen" - meaning that I can import a video into an existing video, and have them playing side by side (or one on top of the other). I have been able to do a picture in picture (however not playing at the same time) - but can't seem to find the correct instructions!
I am trying to show two athletes running the same 40-yard dash - comparing them either side by side, or with one video on top of the other - at the same time.
Any help will be GREATLY appreciated! (iMovie cannot do this!)
Thanks!
Kim

This is how I do it using iMovie 6:
Organize the video clips and/or stills that you want to superimpose on to your main video clip, by having these in separate, individual iMovie projects (no matter how small). It helps if these are in the exact length/time you want later.
Now start with the clip in your iMovie project on to which you want to superimpose one of more smaller video clips or stills. Lets call it Main Clip. Export this (share) to Quicktime Pro in DV (full quality). make sure it has the same aspect as before (Quicktime tends to default to 4:3. If you want 16:9, read on).
In Quicktime, with this project open, select File ~ Open File. Select the iMovie file (in your movies folder) of the first clip/still you want superimposed. This will open in its own QT window. Select Edit ~ copy. If it is a movie clip then select all ~ copy (or you will only get one frame!). Switch back to the Main Clip window, and click in the scroll bar where you want the extra clip/still to appear. Choose Edit ~ Add to Movie.
You can repeat this as many times as you like, if you want to build a 'Video Wall', i.e. have several superimposed clips/stills on the same Main Clip.
Do not worry that the new clip overlaps or covers up the Main Clip, at this stage.
Choose Window ~ Show Movie Properties. The Properties Dialogue appears.
You will see a list of video (and audio) tracks. Track one will be the Main Clip, track 2 your new added (superimposed) clip. Click track 2, then click visual settings. From the Scaled Size pop-op menu, choose percent. Then type 50 into the first box. If Preserve Aspect Ratio is turned on you won't need to type 50 into the second box. You have made the pasted footage appear at one quarter its original size. The inset is now hugging the top-left corner of the Main Clip. If you want, you can type numbers into the Offset Boxes to shove it away from that corner (there are 72 pixels to the inch).
If your original Main Clip was required in 16:9, unclick (de-select) Preserve Aspect Ratio, and type in the relevant numbers in the two boxes, in Video Track 1.
PAL (for Europe):
Standard DV (4:3) 788 x 576
DV Widescreen (16:9) 1050 x 576
NTSC (for the USA):
Standard DV (4:3) 720 x 528
DV Widescreen (16:9) 874 x 480
This will not affect video track 2, but if that is also wanted in 16:9 repeat for that track.
You can superimpose, 3, 4, or more such 'overlaps' on the same clip, and spend a happy afternoon tapping away for each track in the Offset Boxes until you have got them all in the right place! You can even overlap them, if you can remember (or note down - hire a secretary to take notes) which track you want on top etc.
Save the completed QT file. Import the completed file into a new iMovie project. Import this into the original iMovie project, substituting the old clip you copied to QT as Main Clip for the new fancy clip you have made.
Have fun!

Workflow for dual NTSC and PAL DVD project

Hello,
I am really in need of professional advice here, and any tips would be GREATLY appreciated. I am not an expert in Final Cut Studio, but I am OK to get things done on the project I am working on. Some things, despite cracking through multiple manuals, I can't properly figure out... THANKS AGAIN for any help!
I am working on a DVD project which I want to release in two versions: NTSC version in US, and PAL version for Poland — same content. Content was created using DV-NTSC Quicktime files, made on import from an American mini-DV SONY camcorder into Final Cut Pro. All the titles created in Photoshop were created in 720 x 540 and converted to 720 x 480 for the sequences.
I made one NTSC DVD using Studio Pro, and it seems to work okay, with some minor tweaks. But I really need to know what is the best way to make a PAL DVD with minimal quality loss. I need to set up this project correctly, because I have a **** of a lot of work to do, and I don't want to screw it up by incorrect setup.
So many questions... Should I use separate Final Cut sequence files, with different settings, for each disc? Should I finish my work in sequences with NTSC settings in Final Cut, and then use Compressor to export to PAL from within Final Cut? Really, what is the best workflow for something like this? I would dearly appreciate any advice.
Many thanks!
Rad

First off - you can do this. Finish your work in NTSC. Then go buy the Graeme Natress plug for FCP. http://www.nattress.com/standardsConversion.htm
Download and install the app. THen follow the instructions on his site. It's a short turorial movie and you're done.
Heads up - you'll need to first export NTSC Quicktime files of each of your movies.
Hope this helps.
Brian

.mov files choppy in iMovie. Will Quicktime Pro help?

I use a Panasonic FX01 digital stills camera to take small movie clips sometimes. It creates .mov files that are super smooth when played back in Quicktime.
I'd really like to use them in iMovie. iMovie imports the clips okay, but they play back slightly jerky. Would Quicktime Pro do a better job of converting the .mov files (presumably to dv) than just importing into iMovie?
Or is the jerkiness due to fps?
The camera offers me 30fps at 640x480. It also offers me, in the menu, a PAL output, which I choose. I'm not sure if selecting this makes the camera record at 25fps for PAL.
I've tried opening my iMovie project at 25fps and 29.97fps and the imported .mov is still jerky.
Is there any way to maintain the smoothness of the original .mov files and yet use iMovie to create DVDs that'll play on a PAL system?
Thanks.
iMac G4 20inch Mac OS X (10.3.9) 1Gb RAM

Would Quicktime Pro do a better job of converting the .mov files (presumably to dv) than just importing into iMovie?
It shouldn't make any difference for the most part. In purchasing iMovie (iLife) you gained access to the same QT "Pro" routines as when you buy QT Pro and access them through the player. What you do gain is more control over the specific settings which are applied as opposed to the "automatic" conversion by an iMovie import.
Or is the jerkiness due to fps?
Not an epert here, but would tend to believe this contributes to the problem. My recomendation wpuld be to download and try a conversion using MPEG Streamclip here. Believe QT uses a simple "drop frame" algorithm when converting from NTSC to PAL. MPEG Streamclip is has a "blend frame" algorithm option instead which ensures no video data is totally lost. If you step through the converted video, you will, however, note the periodically 2 frames have beeb bended together and, therefore, appear somewhat "fuzzy." Degree of fuzziness, of course, depends on the amount of vector motion displacement between the frames which have been blended. File is also resized to 720 x 576 as part of the operation PAL DV conversion. In any case, you can always give it a try and import the resulting file into iMovie as PAL.

NTSC and PAL output

Hello,
I'm working on Macbook Pro with Final Cut Express and I-DVD. I am editing a video that I would like to output as both PAL DVD and NTSC DVD. Is this possible? Footage is recorded on Sony HD Z1E - as PAL 1080i(50). If I capture and edit in Final Cut Express, can I output the timeline as a quicktime file both in NTSC and PAL? Can I use I-DVD to create both PAL and NTSC DVDs? Have had a look at the user manuals, but am not really clear on if and how it is possible.
Any ideas welcome! Thanks.

Hi,
I have read this thread but am a little unclear and would appreciate some help.
I have shot 3 short movies in PAL anamorphic, edited in Final Cut Express HD 3.5, exported using the Quicktime Movie option, altered with QT Pro to put back to anamorphic, then added to an iDVD '08 widescreen project.
Everything is fine, but I have realised that some of the recipients are in the Bahamas and require NTSC.
The project is a paid commission so I want to ensure the conversion is as good as possible, without any re-digitising / editing.
I duplicated my iDVD project and have used the project info pane to change to NTSC format. I deleted the encoded assets and this has set of iDVD to re-encode. Is a re-burn all that is required once encoding is done?
It seems this is the easiest option, but are you suggesting the conversion can be better if i use the free JES deinterlacer product.
To integrate this into my workflow I am assuming I could duplicate my asset folder (that contains the quicktime exports from Final Cut) and convert them using JES.
Modification to these quicktimes (ie. a re-edit and export from Final Cut) would usually result in iDVD updating its content upon open.
Am I on the right track?
I have had a quick look at JES. I have added a file to convert and looked at the projects tab.
Do I just have to choose "Standards conversion" & select "NTSC"? What should I set out of "Blend, Telecine or Minimal Blend" for best quality.
I am using an Intel iMac with 2gb of memory.
Thanks
Eric

HD NTSC to PAL Debacle

Dear Compression sages,
I'm attempting to convert my NTSC DVCpro HD 720 Quicktime to PAL to make a PAL DVD in DVDSP. So I need a PAL mpeg2. My trouble starts here.
In compression I followed all the settings to convert to PAL. The resulting mpeg was a little rough in terms of quality, but it was the best I could get it. It seemed to play alright.
But to my horror when I dropped the clip into the DVDSP timeline I discovered that all the subtitles I had made in my NTSC DVDSP project gradually went out of sync. The DVDSP project had been fully converted to PAL, every menu. But this gradual de-syncing of the subtitles confused me. And this is not the kind of project that I can easily move the subtitles over. 26 min, heavy on the lines, 5 subtitle tracks.
I checked the audio sync and it seemed to be in sync, but I couldn't be clinically certain frames weren't being dropped towards the end. I did some research and discovered that many people had been having trouble with conversions from NTSC to PAL. Out of sync audio issues, frames being dropped, etc.
In desperation I consulted a friend, who recommended I use a FCP plug-in to do the conversion called Nattress Standards Conversion. He said he had had frame dropping issues with other transfers, but that the NSD plug-in had worked great.
I downloaded the plug-in, and attempted to follow the instructions (bellow) only to find that on step 9, it did not recognize the proper aspect ratio of my HD footage, giving me 4:3 instead of 6:9. I tried switching a few settings, but to no avail. Everytime I dragged and dropped the origional source clip into the filter interface the clip in the viewer altered to 4:3 ratio. Blast, I thought. Probably some little setting I will never discover.
So here I am, back on the compression forums. Has anyone successfully used compressor to convert NTSC HD to PAL without getting drop frames or subtitles gradually going out of sync? How on earth do I do this conversion without horrific results?
NTSC to PAL conversion for Nattress:
1. edit the NTSC clip to an PAL timeline
2. nest the NTSC clip to allow the plugin to scale the converted clip. Because the pixel
dimensions of NTSC video are smaller than PAL, the clip will appear shrunk down in
the timeline canvas viewer. This is normal. The nesting of the clip will allow the
plugin to correctly scale it to PAL pixel dimensions. (select clip and go to the Se-
quence Menu and select Nest Items - make sure the pixels dimensions of the nest
are PAL sized)
3. apply the G Converter plugin to the nested sequence in the PAL timeline. Make sure
the plugin goes onto the nest itself, not the clip that it contains.
4. open the nest in the viewer (control click on the nest and select "Open in viewer" or
select nest then press return)
5. select the ﬁlter tab in the viewer
6. set the correct settings for the desired conversion. In this case, we select Source
Pixel size to be 720 x 480 (NTSC), lower ﬁeld order for source (in this case a NTSC
DV clip) and destination (PAL DV timeline).
7. if you desire the PAL output to be de-interlaced, this can be performed in one step by
selecting progressive output
8. if you would like to experiment with the conversion algorithm using "Smart De-
Interlacing" then this can be selected in the De-Interlace options. The Tolerance
control affects the smart de-interlace and it's effects can be seen by selecting "View
Smart Mask" in the De-Interlace Options.
9. the original NTSC clip that was edited to the PAL timeline must now be dropped from
the project browser onto the Source Clip image well in the ﬁlter. The plugin will use
this video clip for all the image data for the conversion. This is the important step
that makes this plugin different from any other, and is vital to it's successful operation.

I downloaded the plug-in, and attempted to follow the instructions (bellow) only to find that on step 9, it did not recognize the proper aspect ratio of my HD footage, giving me 4:3 instead of 6:9. I tried switching a few settings, but to no avail. Everytime I dragged and dropped the origional source clip into the filter interface the clip in the viewer altered to 4:3 ratio. Blast, I thought. Probably some little setting I will never discover.
Email Graeme Nattress with your problem. He does a good job supporting his plugins.
x

"Large" or "Full" "NTSC" or "PAL"

I recently shot about 3 hours worth of digital video on a Panasonic DVX100B. I am going to cut it down to be a 20 minute promotional video and it will be played on a very big screen in a theater. Here's a link to the best picture I could find of the screens.
http://images.citysearch.net/profile/ec/b0/35901331p1.jpg
I'm using iMovie '08 but I need to know how I should import the video.
should I use large or full, NTSC or PAL.
Please Help!

Here is how to think about FULL vs LARGE. This is only important if you are importing video shot at 1920x1080.
If you choose FULL, it will import at 1920x1080. It will take up about 40GB of disk per hour of footage.
It will preserve the full quality of the original camcorder capture.
If you choose LARGE, it will import at 960x540 (half the original resolution). It will take up about 13GB of hard disk space per hour of footage. There will be some quality loss, but the loss is minor, and is not noticeble by most people.
So it depends how you are using the footage. If you are creating a BluRay disk, import at full. If you have a way to display 1920x1080, such as a Sony PS3, import at full. If you are doing this for broadcast television and will do further editing in Final Cut, import in full. If you will be displaying your movie on a computer monitor, with at least a 24inch screen, you might want to use full. To take full advantage of Full, you must EXPORT USING QUICKTIME with appropriate options. All the other Share options will export at a max of 960x540.
For most other uses (Mobile Me Web Gallery, a 480i DVD, Apple TV, etc., iPhone, iPod, Quicktime file for the Web) large is sufficient. This is because even though you input at 1920x1080, the output will be a maximum of 960x540, and in the case of the DVD, will be much less. So if you are exporting at 960x540, why not import at 960x540 and save the space?
This is a gray area, however, because you may want to preserve your option to burn your movie to BluRay or other devices in the future. You might want to import at 1920x1080 just to preserve all your options.

Project Setup: NTSC or PAL

In connection with a recent post I made:
When you begin a project in DVD Studio Pro, you have the option to set the project as NTSC or PAL.
What would happen if I shot/edited an NTSC video, but selected the DVD studio pro project to be PAL? Would the burned DVD then be capable of playing on a PAL dvd player?

Unless I'm mistaken, I do not believe that you can import a NTSC video into a PAL DVDSP project. Even if it is possible, it's not a good idea from a quality standpoint.
So, yes, use Compressor to transcode your file from NTSC to PAL. That said, I would try to avoid doing that directly to an MPEG-2 encode. In other words, convert from (say) DV-NTSC to DV-PAL with a very healthy dose of Frame Controls - set every option to Better - and see how you like the results. Then convert your DV-PAL file to MPEG-2 for use in a PAL DVDSP project. But Compressor is not fast when it comes to transcoding of this type.
If you can - because you'll likely need to run this overnight or over the weekend. - I'd recommend the use of job chaining. In case you haven't done that before, select your DV-PAL encode setting in Compressor's Batch window and then select *Job > New Job from Selected Output* via the menubar. That will bring up a new job - a whole new box - that you can slap the appropriate MPEG-2 & Dolby settings on to. This way, you'll have your converted file - should you need to (re)encode and any point - as well as at least one attempt at converting it to MPEG-2. If you're happy with the quality, you've killed two birds with one stone...

NTSC or PAL to Flash CS3

Hi,
I need to edit a movie and place it in an Flash document.
When I want to purchase the movie I have to option to download it in NTSC and PAL or HD
The HD has 29,97 fps -> so NTSC
I am in a PAL-country so the logical choice is to download a PAL version.
I have a theorie but don't know if this will work.
If I do download the HD version and edit this in Premiere Pro CS3 and export it with the NTSC settings. I will have no loss in the movie.
But if I import it in Flash CS3 and export the movie will I have quality loss?
I think not because the movie will be shown on a computer screen.
I hope somebody can help me with this.

G.
One of the advantages of Shooting with a PAL camera is that you don't have too many frame rates to worry about and no pull down is needed.
You can shoot PAL (50 fields per second as opposed to NTSC 60 ) at 25frames ps (or better 50fps, talk to your DoP about this) edit easily with FCP on a PAL timeline and eventually convert to NTSC using [Nattress Standard Converter|http://www.nattress.com/Products/standardsconversion/standardsconvers ion.htm] or Compressor 3.
However, there are a couple of things you can take into account:
1)most DVD players nowadays can play both PAL and NTSC (Not all though)
2)If you are used to a specific workflow stick with it or do some tests before you take any decision.
You could shoot with a PAL camera and edit a few minutes in FCP, do a standard conversion with Compressor then encode and import the asset in DVDSP to burn a DVD to see if you are happy.
Testing is a crucial step of the work and hiring the camera for half a day will cost you much less than a rushed decision.
Best,
G.

NTSC vs PAL: difference in compatibility

I wonder if there is a difference between compatibility of NTSC and PAL camera's of the same model. Checking on the supported camcorder list one can read the Sony HDR XR500 is compatible for NTSC but isn't mentioned in the PAL list.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3290?viewlocale=en_US#2
I'm thinking of buying this camera in a PAL version and use iMovie09 and FCE 4. Does anyone knows of this will work without any third party software?
Thanks in advance...

I have heard that there is no such a thing as NTSC HD or PAL HD and that HD is just HD regardless of the country it's in. Is that true?
Yes, its true. As far as "definition" goes, there is no difference between a 1080 image shot in a PAL region and a 1080 image shot in an NTSC region. However, which frame rate you intend to shoot at eg 50i / 60i, 25p / 30p etc will certainly make a difference. Most consumer level HD camera's are restricted depending upon the electrical frequency of the market region they are being sold in. If your camera was purchased in a 60Hz ( NTSC ) region then its likely your camera will only support 60i, 30p 24p etc. If its purchased in a 50Hz (PAL) region then it's likely to only support 50i, 25p etc.
Generally it is only the higher end pro camera's that support switching between systems ... neither the HV20 nor the XH-A1 have this capability.
Could I rent an HD camera in Europe and shoot stuff with it there and then bring the resulting tapes back here to the U.S. and play them on my U.S.-purchased HD cameras and decks and load it into my current FCP setup in L.A. without any problem?
Well that would depend on what camera you rented as compared to what your current setup is ... what's your current setup and what do you have in mind to rent?

NTSC to PAL Quicktime pro

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